Guardians
by xLevitate
Summary: Loki is returned to Asgard as a disgraced prisoner. Now that new enemies have come upon the realm's doorstep, who better to guard him than the Warrior Woman herself?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Rated "M" for violence, sexual content and whatever else I can manage to bring up. Sort of just winging this and seeing where it goes.**

* * *

Sif couldn't remember a time when Loki could be trusted.

Ever since they were children playing together alongside Balder, Thor, Fandral, Volstagg, Hogun, and other childhood friends, she never thought he was someone that she could be completely relaxed around. Maybe it was the pitch black darkness of his hair, his lean, hungry look, those eyes that seemed to take in everything and anyone. He was too observant; far too observant for her own liking.

Even now that they were grown and had gone seemingly different ways, that edge that he gave her never went away. He was Thor's brother, formerly the crown Prince of Asgard alongside him, but now…now he was an exile. His betrayal struck deep within her regardless of the fact that he had not acted out against her. He probably meant her no harm – after all, she was merely a friend of Thor's. What importance could she be to someone like Loki? – but he had damaged and changed Thor beyond repair.

The occurrences after Thor's banishment had shaken Asgard to the core. _Who_, exactly, could be trusted if not the Royal family? What was going on inside the castle walls? Odin had a plan for everything; nothing he did went without some sort of epic end; so what was his plan with Loki? What was he hoping would happen now that he was bringing the sorcerer back to Asgard?

Sif, though, still remained true to the family. Odin, Frigga, and Thor had never stabbed her in the back and she would forever remain a confidant, a friend to them. Odin and Frigga had shown her nothing but kindness as she had aged within the confines of the castle; Thor had shown her deep friendship. Along with the Warriors Three, she vowed to remain by their side regardless of what occurred. Some questionable actions couldn't wipe out a lifetime of decency.

Still, she stood with diminished trust in Odin and Thor as she waited in the Grand Throne room for Thor and _him_ to return. Remembering his face with a slight sneer, her grip on her double-edged sword tightened even more. It was slung at her hip as customary for such welcomings as this even though the shield that fit over it was not. A testament to her unfaithful nature in Loki, a man that had practically destroyed those that she held dear.

Beside her, Fandral shifted as he noticed her uneasiness, stepping slightly away from her as if she would act out her anger and slice _him_ instead of the object of her loath. The sneer fell away into a snicker, one that attracted Hogun's attention despite the fact that she had tried to conceal it. Across the grand steps, he glared at her and she wiped it away, tilting her chin upwards and broadening her shoulders. Her eyes trained on Heimdall at the huge doors at the entrance of the Throne room, her shoulders tensed.

Without warning, a bright light enveloped the room. Sif's eyes closed and her head turned away reflexively. A loud shriek sounded throughout the room at the untimely brightness and her hand withdrew her sword a few inches from the sheath.

The light faded as quickly as it came and she turned her head quickly to see who had entered the room. Thor stood tall and mighty as ever with his red cape swirling around his feet. Beside him was Loki, his eyes proud and wide despite the fact that a mask covered the lower half of his face and chains were wrapped around his hands and ankles. His green cape hung like a curtain around his corners and she narrowed her eyes at him, wanting nothing more than to strike him down for all the pain that he had caused.

Behind her, she heard the shifting of Odin's armor as he stood from the Throne. Sif didn't tear her eyes away from Loki even though Odin stepped down the grand steps, the clinking of his boots against the stones echoing in the otherwise eerily silent room. It was the first time that any of them had seen the disgraced Asgardan since he had fallen from the Rainbow Bridge after Thor had shattered it to pieces to save the Jotuns.

He looked…different somehow. Before, Loki had always managed to blend in with the crowd. It was his choice of course. Being a Prince, he should have commanded the eyes of everyone in a room but that had always been Thor. Oftentimes he would go by unnoticed; his watchful gaze more of a presence than his body was.

Now, he stood taller almost. Wider, broader in the shoulders and in stance. His stance held none of the weariness that should have come with traveling across the realms. His hair was longer, blacker and pushed out of his face with a single lock falling across his forehead and into his eyes. Eyes, green and sharp as ever – almost _sharper, _cutting into the air as he watched Odin approach he and his brother with all of the dignified grace that the Asgardian King had.

Despite the fact that he was chained and had nowhere to hide, Sif had the notion that Loki wanted nothing more than to be standing in front of his father just like he was now.

Odin stopped just in front of the two brothers. His two sons. One, the future King of Asgard. The other, a disgraced former King.

"Loki." He recognized in a loud, booming voice that made even Sif snap up in surprise. "You have disgraced this house; you have disgraced this world. Your actions caused the death of thousands of people in a matter of days. You have brought forth new enemies to this world and to Midgard. _You_ have invited danger to our very doors and threatened our own people. I will not keep you here for your own safety; though I assure you that you will be very glad that I do. I should cast you out into the universe for those that you have wronged to find you."

Loki's shoulders stiffened at the mention of his newfound enemies and Sif's eyes narrowed slightly. Who was Odin speaking of?

"You will be punished for your crimes." Odin held his hand out to Thor. The Prince handed over the bright blue gleaming Tesseract and Odin clenched his fist around the handle, the weapon attracting Loki's eyes to it instantly. With a wave of Odin's other hand, the blue disappeared and his hand was empty again. "Never will you step outside of Asgard again. Never will you see the outside of this world again. Never will you be truly alone again. You, Loki, my _son_," Loki's eyes jerked back to Odin's. "You will be imprisoned in these very walls for eternity. Your magic will be taken away from you. Your very privacy will be gone. Your punishment is this; your life will remain yours but that will be all that you possess."

Loki's eyes betrayed no emotion. He remained fixated on the King, hands folded in front of him. But Sif saw his fingers flex for a beat at the mention of his magic and for a moment, she almost pitied him. The pity was gone, replaced by the repulsion as she remembered his actions.

Odin was handed Loki's scepter by Heimdall and he tilted it forward to touch Loki's chest. The weapon pressed against Loki's armor and the blue of the spear point glowed in the presence of its' owner. Then, a spherical green light surrounded the point where the weapon touched Loki and the man looked down, eyes widening in horror – the first true emotion that Sif had ever seen from the man. The light pulsated, growing brighter and brighter, larger and rounder.

Sif watched, feeling uneasy as Loki's power was drained from him. Her hand tightened on her sword and she swore she heard the gasp of Frigga from the Queen's Throne. On the step below her, Fandral looked down, unable to watch Loki's face drain and grow pallid white. Sif forced herself to watch though, forced herself to do what it seemed that no one else in the Throne room could do.

Odin waited until the green light vanished; the scepter's blue light changed to a green that resembled the color of Loki's taken magic. He pounded the weapon against the floor; holding it as Loki took in a shaky breath, his eyes flickering from his chest back to his father, his slim shoulders curling forward slightly from exhaustion.

"Take him away." The King said coldly. Heimdall stepped forward. Thor released his grip, Mjolnir hanging by his side faithfully. Loki's chin lifted and he straightened up as Heimdall took his arm and turned him away from Odin. Sif waited until the Guardian had led Loki out of the Throne room and the doors closed heavily behind them before she allowed herself to look anywhere else.

She looked over to Volstagg and Hogun who were already stepping down the steps to go to Thor. Fandral immediately went after them, leaving Sif and Frigga alone. She turned to face the Queen, surprised when she noticed small tears on the woman's cheeks. "My Queen," she said gently, "are you…are you ill?"

Frigga shook her head, her long blonde hair glimmering in the light. She wiped away the tears, managing to give Sif a faltering smile. "A mother never ceases to love her child, Lady Sif." With that, the woman stood and hurried away, escaping the Throne Room through the door behind the Thrones. Sif frowned and glanced over her shoulder at the Warriors Three and Thor. The men were already leaving the Throne Room as well and she sighed. Perhaps she would welcome Thor back some other time.

Odin and she were the only ones in the Throne Room now and she stepped down the steps, finally taking her hand off of the hilt of her sword and flexing her fingers out. They were stiff from clutching her weapon so hard. She crossed the distance between her and the King quickly, stepping around him to head towards the grand doors.

"Lady Sif," he called to her just as she went around him and she froze instantly. Curious, she turned on her heel to look at the King. What could he want to say to her? As she looked upon his face, she could tell that he seemed….tired. The grip he had around Loki's scepter was loosened yet he still clutched it as if it were helping him stand.

She bowed her head respectfully towards him. "My King."

"The Warriors have dragged my son away before you could even say hello." He smiled. "I'm sure Thor has missed you very much. A woman's presence is always quite refreshing when one is constantly around the company of men."

Sif shrugged her shoulders. "Thor has always managed to find me when he needs me. I assume that our friendship will remain intact regardless of the fact that he just forgot about me." She smiled; teasing somewhat even though her shoulders dropped a bit. It did pain her a little to have Thor whisked away from her without even a simple smile, or look of acknowledgement. She knew that Thor was weary from being away from Asgard for so long but did he really have to leave before she could even _glance_ at him?

"Forget about _you_, Lady Sif? The warrior who demands to never be forgotten on the battlefield? I think not." Sif blushed at the compliments; Odin stepped closer. Looking up at the scepter in his hands, he sighed and her curiosity peaked again. "Thor will be busy these coming times. Loki's…actions have caused a ruckus in the universe. Many enemies will be at our doorstep soon."

"We've had enemies before," Sif countered. "We defeated them then and we will defeat them now."

Odin shook his head. "Loki does not know what he has done. Or worse, he knows _exactly_ what he has done. I am afraid that I cannot decide which side is worse." He tilted the scepter again, the green light pulsing with the fire of Loki's capture magic almost as if it had a life of its own. His magic was a lot brighter than Sif had expected it to be. She thought it would be dark but instead it was a medium green. Not as dark as ink but not as bright as the green grass. It was the color of…his eyes.

"I need someone to watch Loki. He is…dangerous as well as being in danger. Lady Sif, I am asking you to guard him. Not only from himself and his enemies here in Asgard, but his enemies outside of our realm as well." Sif's eyes widened in surprise and she sucked in a breath, quickly parting her lips to refuse his offer when he waved his hand. "Without magic, he is vulnerable. But with the magic he is…volatile. He cannot defend himself against those here let alone those outside of our walls."

"My King, I cannot –"

"By asking, Lady Sif, I meant that I was commanding. Thor would be the clearer choice but he will be King soon. The Warriors Three are too unpredictable to be trusted to do anything without Thor. You are all that I can trust to guard him wholly and completely."

"But my King," Sif shook her head, "surely there are numerous guards who can protect Loki! I…I _cannot_. I despise him more than anything in this world and the next."

"You _will_ do this; because you know how much it would pain Frigga and I if anything were to happen to Loki. The other guards – they serve us well but we need someone like _you_ to do this. Someone strong, someone loyal, someone who has an interest in keeping Loki alive should be the one to do this and that is _you_."

She bit her lip. "In all respect, my King, I do not know if this is the best decision…"

He smiled wryly and placed a hand on her shoulder. "It _is _the best decision I can possibly make. Frigga specifically requested _you _for this. Loki will need protection, and who better to do that than the Warrior Woman herself?"

"And if I fail?"

"You _cannot_ fail."

* * *

Sword and shield discarded in her room, Sif quickly walked down the halls in her armor towards Thor's. She knew that he and the Warriors Three would be there catching up and she hated to miss the tales of Thor's adventures on Midgard. After he had returned from Odin's banishment, his stories of coffee and stars and humans had delighted them all until he went back and she was rather eager to hear what else happened.

But when she went in, Sif was met with silence. Fandral, Volstagg, Hogun, and Thor all looked up at her, their heads turning all together at once rather comically and she resisted the urge to chuckle out loud. Instead she smiled but that smile fell from her lips as soon as her eyes saw Thor's bare torso and arms. His left hip had one short but angry-looking red wound. It was clear that there had been a bandage wrapped around it, blood caked and dried around the area.

"Thor," she breathed out, stepping from the doorway and inside the room. Her eyes never left the wound. "What happened to you?" Normally their wounds would heal in a matter of hours and never had they looked this…human like. This sort of wound, with the angry red lines stemming away mingled with blues and greens of rotting skin revolted her but also raised a sense of fascination within her. What had happened?

Thor looked down at his own wound and the fingers of his left hand brushed against it. "Not as bad as it looks really. Loki managed to stab be when we were in Midgard. It no longer hurts and to be honest, it looks better than it did before we left."

"That came from a magic weapon though." Sif shook her head, ponytail bouncing against her back. "You need to have a Healer look at that soon just in case. There is no telling what Loki did to his weapon, what sort of enchantments he put on it."

"Sif. It's fine, honestly." He said and she glanced up at him. A smile spread across his face and he opened his arms to her, stepping closer to wrap them around her body as he pulled her in tightly. She felt her own grin and lifted her arms to wrap around his torso as well. Swarmed in warmth and Thor's skin, Sif tried to let the worry over Thor's injury drop from her mind. If he wasn't worried about it, then why should she?

_Because Loki did it._

He dropped her and stepped away. Looking her up and down, his smile never left his face even as he reached towards the sofa next to Volstagg and picked up a shirt. He pulled it over his head and like that, the wound was gone. "I see you got new armor. It fits you well."

She naturally glanced down at her attire, the customary reds and silvers glinting against the sunlight from the open window. "A gift from your mother. Couldn't welcome you back home in my old, dented things, could I?"

"Hasn't stopped you before," Volstagg grunted from behind her on the sofa.

Ignoring him, Sif backed away and plopped down on the end of a futon in the middle of the room. She leaned forward, placing her elbows on her knees for support. "So, tell us Thor, what did you get into this time in Midgard?"

"Yes, tell us Thor. Did you see that woman again?" Fandral asked, taking a sip from his goblet of wine.

Thor looked down at his hands and shook his head. "No. I did not get a chance to see Lady Jane. Loki had me otherwise…_preoccupied_." He sounded disappointed. Clearing his throat, he looked back up at his friends and continued. "I did see Eric Selvig again though."

"He was the…?" Volstagg looked to the others for help in figuring out which human Thor was speaking of.

"The scientist," Sif completed and Volstagg shot her a grateful look. "The one who couldn't quite hold his liquor in."

"There were others I met as well. Tony Stark, a man who is actually quite a _genius_. He has this red and gold suit, you see, and he can fly and shoots flames from his hands. Doctor Bruce who seems like a rather small guy but he can turn into this _huge_, monstrous green…_beast!_"

"Like a giant?" Fandral asked, laughing as Thor became enthusiastic.

"Not quite as huge as a giant, but it's impressive. There was also a woman who was an agent – Natasha – who could rival even Sif if she wasn't held back by a human form. Captain, or _Steve_ I believe is his real name, who should be an old man by now but isn't. A man who could see as far as you can, Hogun, but admittedly… I can't remember his name…"

"Sounds like you met some rather alien humans." Volstagg commented.

"Quite." Sif nodded in agreement. _Naturally_, Thor had compared her and the other woman.

"Of course, they're still as loud and strange." He smiled fondly. "But entertaining."

"What of the _battles?_ The battles, Thor, let us hear of those!" Volstagg lifted his goblet into the air. Some of the wine sloshed over the lid and onto his beard but he didn't seem to notice, his eyes only on Thor, waiting to hear of the epic fights that Thor had partaken in on Midgard. Recently, the warrior had been complaining of having not been in a decent fight in ages and it seemed that his lust for a proper spar was bleeding over into his thirst of simply _hearing_ of battles.

The corner of Thor's eyes crinkled as he smiled. Laughing, he sat on a chair, leaning forward to grab his own goblet from the table in between them all. "_Battle_ is almost too weak of a word to describe this. Loki definitely had the numbers on his side this time." At the mention of his brother's name, Thor suddenly quieted, as if remembering for the first time that it was indeed his brother who had conjured up the enemies and tried to kill him. Twice.

Clearing his throat, Thor took a sip of his wine. "It was…magnificent. Glorious, almost. We saved most of the city's humans but destroyed a lot of the buildings. I imagine that they are having quite a time with that in Midgard."

"You must _tell_ us," Fandral said eagerly.

"Perhaps another time," Sif urged while she stood. Her eyes flickered over Thor's face and saw that he was clearly tired. "There will be plenty of time for talks of war in the coming days. Perhaps now we should give Thor some rest?"

Volstagg slurred something and Fandral scowled. Hogun was the first to stand and he held out a hand to help haul Volstagg off of the sofa. Stumbling, the two went to the door, Sif waiting wearily for them to pass and anticipating having to catch Volstagg. How much wine had he managed to drink anyway?

Fandral was the next to slide out, squeezing between Sif and Volstagg and Hogun. She was about to step out when she stopped, turning to see Thor slumped in the chair, his goblet dangling between two fingers. "You really should see a Healer about your wound, Thor. It is not wise to let that go untreated."

He opened his eyes and shrugged. "Nothing but a scratch."

_"Thor."_ Sif abandoned the door to go closer to him. Placing her hands on her hips, she practically glared down at him. "You would come home only to become bedridden due to a simple wound? Odin is going to need you in the best shape possible."

"It will be fine. Do not fret over it." He waved a hand nonchalantly towards her but she did not lower her glare. Sighing, he said, "fine. It if will help you feel better, I will see a Healer about it tomorrow."

Pleased, she nodded her head once. "Good. You know not to argue with me." Smirking a little, she moved to turn away when he started speaking again.

"Father wants you to watch over Loki, does he not? Has he asked you already?" She stopped, a frown deepening on her face. Thor sighed. "Be careful, Sif. Loki is…different than how he used to be."

"I can handle him." She crossed her arms over her chest. Did he think that she was not capable to maintaining control over Loki even though he no longer had his magic? She was more worried that she would end up killing him due to his spiteful comments more than anything.

Thor smiled weakly at her. "That I have no doubts about. Loki, though, he is…different. No doubt you have noticed just in seeing him in the Throne Room earlier. I do not know what he came across when he traveled through the universe, but whatever it was it changed him. Not for the better, either."

"A lot of us have changed, Thor. It's what we _do_. Otherwise, life would be too boring. Even with a few epic battles thrown in from time to time."

"That is not what I _mean_."

"I know what you mean. I can handle Loki, trust me. But if it will help you feel better, I will be careful around him. _If _you maintain your word that you will get that wound seen about."

"I already told you I would –"

" – As if I would believe you. I know you far too well, Thor." They smiled at each other and she dropped her arms down by her sides. "Now, you need to rest up. We simply cannot have you sleeping in until midday tomorrow. I am sure your father will want to speak with you. I know your mother does. She has not been able to stop talking about you since you left."

"I bet you are glad that I finally came back then, no?" He asked, standing and putting his goblet on the table. Stretching his back, Thor walked towards the door that led to his private bed chamber and Sif took her cue to make her way back towards the door.

Sif closed the door behind her when she went into the hall. Hopefully, Thor would get some rest now that he was alone. She had seen him tired before after battles and the like but it seemed that Thor was tired in both mind and body now. Not that she could blame him for that; the trip back to Asgard was always rather rough even with the Bifrost. Relying on the Tesseract's power had to make the trip even tougher. That, and she knew that he had experience and interesting few weeks. Humans were always…well, something of a different sort.

Smiling to herself, Sif went to her own bed chambers. They were not far from Thor's and the Warriors Three's were just down the hall a bit further. Loki's had been in between her's and Thor's. Bypassing that door, she wondered faintly whether or not he would ever be able to get that room back. She certainly did not want him to. Loki belonged…wherever it was that Odin had put him. A cell. A room all to himself. Surely it was something like that.

What if he hadn't though? Sif paused by Loki's room, her eyes shifting from the hallway in front of her to the door now by her side. What if Loki was _there_? In his very room? A chill ran down her spine at the idea of Loki being unguarded. No, she shook her head. Odin would not have dared let Loki just stay in comfort. At least not at the very beginning of his punishment…. Would he?

Curiosity overwhelming her, she looked down the hall to make sure now one was coming and then checked the other way. Sif stepped closer to the door and twisted the knob. It gave away easily and she poked her head inside of the foyer to check to see if anyone was in it first. Seeing no one, she slid inside, closing the door gently behind her.

The room had clearly been abandoned for some time. Sif had heard that Frigga refused to let anyone touch the room, having full belief that her son would return back to her and would need his room. _A mother never ceases to love her child._

The sofas and chairs were like she remembered. In her youth, she had gone into Loki's room from time to time when they all played together in rare moments. But she had never gone into the private bedchambers. It had always been just the foyer. Of course the fabrics were all greens, Loki's favorite color. Instead of artwork on the walls, there was simply shelves with different sized and colored glasses. A strange hobby, she thought.

Sif noticed that some of the decorations were golden plates, metal wielded into various odd positions placed randomly throughout the room. Above the large fireplace was the large skin of a warg that he had killed on a hunting trip a few years ago. On the floor was the skin of a mammoth he and Thor had taken down together.

Remaining as quietly as possible, Sif walked towards the bedroom just in case there _was_ someone in the room. She put her hand on the doorknob, twisting and grimaced when it did not give. It was locked. Sighing, she stepped back, crossing her arms over her chest. She might be able to kick the door in on the off-chance that it was not enchanted somehow.

She could probably go to Frigga and get a key. But she would ask why Sif needed to get into Loki's bedroom, and quite frankly, Sif didn't know what she would tell her. It was apparent that the room was abandoned of any Asgardian and had been for some time. She couldn't _hear_ anyone on the other side. So why did she want to get into the bedroom so badly?

Sif forced herself to step away, turning back and quickly exiting the room before she could do anything rash like break the door down. What Loki kept in his bedroom was his own private business. At least until she could get her hands on a key. _Then_ it could be her business as well. Something about wanting to know what might be behind those doors screamed at her.

She looked back at the door before she walked away.

A fire had been started in her foyer, dinner in a covered dish already on her table. Grinning at the smell of roast and potatoes, she hastily grabbed the tray and carted it to her bedroom, wanting nothing more than to sit on the balcony and eat so that she could listen to the waterfalls. She put the food on her dresser and went about taking her new armor off piece by piece. Lying it carefully on her bed, she eyed it appreciatively once more before grabbing the food and going between the billowing curtains and onto the balcony in her shift and leggings.

The sun was warm and the skies were blue, purple, and golden. Perfect for sitting and relaxing for a brief moment before thinking about….other things. Troubling things. Sif put the tray on the wooden table and sat, propping her boot-clad feet in the chair next to her as she sunk her teeth into a roll.

She ate with her eyes closed like she always did when she was outside. In between bites, she would open them and look at the waterfalls; at the sun; at the exposed side of the Asgardian castle; at the vast stretch of land that surrounded them where others lived; at the towering walls in the distance that protected them from others; the shattered remains of the Rainbow Bridge roughly three leagues away from her.

It really was a shame that the Bifrost and the Bridge had been destroyed. Yet another product of destruction that had come with Loki's scheming. Odin had been weak for days after he managed to summon up enough power to put Thor through to Midgard after Heimdall reported Loki's mischief. Sif had been afraid that the old King would fall into yet another sleep, leaving them practically rulerless and all the more vulnerable with Thor gone. But he hadn't. Chaos had been close once again all because of Loki and Sif was not entirely too sure if that would be the last instance.

She huffed as she stood, not too pleased that her moment of peace was over with. Her hands itched for her blade and her legs yearned for exercise. She placed the now empty dish inside the foyer before going back into her room. Going to her bureau, Sif grabbed her most abused armor and put it on swiftly before grabbing her sword and shield.

Sif had just put her sword in its sheath when there was a loud knock on her bed chamber door. Figuring that it was just the Warriors, Sif opened the door only to raise her eyebrows at the guard who stood before her. "The prisoner is now in his cell, Lady Sif. Are you going to attend to him?"

She dropped her hand from the doorknob and sighed. Right. _Loki_. "I suppose so. Where is he?"

"King Odin had him placed in the Far East Wing." The guard stepped to the side, allowing Sif to go into the hall. Before he had finished, she was already on her way to that part of the castle, the guard struggling to keep up with her as she stepped widely. "King Odin also requests that you move your belongings into the room next to Loki's. He needs constant supervision."

At the very mention of abandoning her own bedroom, Sif halted, turning and glaring at the guard who took a step away. His eyes flashed down to the sword at her side for a moment.

"He-He said t-that the Queen would ap-p-preciate the notion very much." The guard stammered.

Sif closed her eyes tightly. So she was to move in next to Loki as well as protect him? By _gods_ Odin's orders were going to break her down. Just the thought of sleeping a wall away from Loki… she shook her head. She had done it before. They had grown up right next to each other. Why should this time be so different than before?

_Because now he is a monster._

Frigga. Think of Frigga. Sif tried to relax her shoulders, failed, and then opened her eyes. Pivoting on her heel sharply, she walked even quicker than before down the hall towards the Far East Wing. "Have my things moved into my new chambers by tonight," she muttered through clenched teeth. "Make _sure_ you bring every weapon I have."

"Yes, Lady Sif," the guard answered quickly and scurried away.

First, the King had given her an assignment to do that she was _not_ excited about. Now he was taking away her bedroom to put her even closer to a man that she had struggled _not_ to strike down. This day was becoming more and more mad by the very minute! She huffed exasperatedly, hands twitching by her sides before she balled them into tight fists.

Sif was a little surprised at the remodel that Odin had done to the Far East Wing. This part of the castle had remained relatively untouched for many years. Sif herself had only ventured to it a few times and that was only by accident. It used to be a huge hall with a few doors along the sides. Empty rooms with dark, musty smells that told they had gone unused for quite some time. Abandoned, far away from any other part of the castle that was used most often. Even her legs were tired by the time she stopped just short of a huge stone door that blocked off the Wing now.

Two guards stood in front of the door. A few others were stretched on either side down the halls. The lamps were dark and the guards were broad men, gold and silver armor flickering with every motion of the candles. One of them opened the door for her, the stone scraping against the floor and echoing throughout. She gave him a quick nod before stepping inside and he shut it as soon as she had gone in.

In front of her, the walls that had been there before were now gone; instead of numerous rooms there was now one large one with three doors on either side of the far left and right walls. In the center of the large room was a glass chamber. Sif stepped closer.

Inside the cell was a four poster bed, dark red sheets and large gold pillows. The Odin colors. There was also a table and two chairs inside of the cell; a bookcase packed tightly in the corner. That was all. A grander cell than Sif had personally conjured for Loki but one that was still a prison.

Loki sat on the bed. As she came forward – hand protectively wrapped around the hilt of her sword – he opened his eyes to stare emotionlessly at her. A chill ran down her spine and she scolded herself. He was powerless now. No more dangerous to her than one of the guards posted outside of the door. She dropped her hand from the hilt of her sword and stopped in front of one of the glass walls.

He sneered when he saw her as usual. Sif forced herself not to smile; some things never changed. "Well this is most _interesting_," he said. "The Warrior Woman herself coming to see a dear old friend."


	2. Chapter 2

Sif did not know exactly how she expected Loki to react to her being in his cell room, but it was definitely not the silence that settled into the room after he first acknowledged her presence. Not that she cared much. Sif loathed trying to find something to talk with him about. What did one say to someone like Loki? Before he had fallen through the Bifrost, Sif was sure that the two could at least pass the time…somewhat amicably. Now? She barely trusted herself to so much as open her mouth.

So she went to her bedroom instead. The room chosen for her was the largest of the three – one of those three was a private bathroom for her, the second a bath for Loki, and the third a spare bedroom – and had the best view. Of course it did not compare to her other room's view of the entire Asgardian waterfalls, castle, and Rainbow Bridge; but at least here she got a good look of the Great Sea and the High Mountain.

The guards and other servants of the Royal Family quickly brought her belongings into the new bedroom. She went about arranging the room in a way that she liked, every now and then catching a peek of Loki watching her and the others through the open door. He was curious, obviously, as to why she was moving into a bedroom that was mere feet away from his prison cell, but Sif decided to let him figure it out for himself. He was a smart fellow. Surely it would not take him too long.

At least the decorating took her mind off of the eerie glass prison just outside her door. Curtains of red and silver replaced the drag and dusty greys; her fur rugs added a warmth to the room. Her hunting trophies, prized armors, and glorified weapons were hung up on the wall; her favorite battle shield in its proper place over the fire hearth. The sun gave good lighting and as she stood in the center taking in her new chamber, she shrugged her shoulders and smiled a little. Maybe it would not be so bad after all.

Then she stepped out the next day. Sif loathed seeing him and had stayed the first night in her room and on the balcony. Avoiding Loki might have been a slightly cowardly move, but she had managed to talk herself into believing that it was more for his own good than it was for hers.

Seeing Loki glaring at her with his hands down by his sides, balled up into tight fists, dashed away that feeling of content and she practically _growled_. He was positively seething as if _he_ was the one forced to uproot himself to watch over a petulant man.

"So," Loki forced out between his clenched teeth, his brow low and his eyes glaring at her from what seemed to be the tops of his eyelashes. For once, Sif felt almost a little…well…_scared_ of him. "The _King_ sent you here to guard me."

Sif tilted her chin up. "I can assure you that I am just as pleased about this arrangement as you are."

"I do not need guarding like some dog."

"The King deems otherwise."

"I do not care _what _Odin –"

"He is your _King_, Loki." Sif spat, eyes growing angry as she strode towards the glass case. Stopping just in front of him, she put her hands on her hips and glared at him. "You would do well to remember that he could have had you killed."

He was taller than her. She had never noticed before, but somehow, all she could think of – other than her sudden anger – was that she had to look _up_ at him. Sif did not like that. Not one bit.

Loki sneered. "Let me guess: you are now going to start praising him? Start singing ballads of how _just_, _kind, _and _merciful_ he is? I think, Lady Sif, that I will pass on that." He turned away from her, the bottom of his cloak brushing against the glass in front of her.

Sif followed him. "Odin _is_ merciful. You are the very testament of that –"

"If Odin was so merciful then he would hand me over to those that I have angered. Otherwise, he risks the lives of all of his _precious_ Asgardians. He risks Thor, he risks the Queen, he risks _you_, he risks everyone in this damned place."

Sif narrowed her eyes at him. "_Who_ exactly have you angered, Loki?"

Loki's jaw tightened. His hands folded behind his back and it appeared that he drew himself up a little. Defensive, clearly. Sif's curiosity surged and she stepped closer just a little almost out of habit; like she was trying to get a good look at him. It was as if his mere body language would divulge his secrets. But Loki stepped away, turning from her abruptly and going towards the bed in a dismissive manner.

Sif snorted and walked around the cell. When he caught side of her behind his bed _he_ narrowed his eyes, turning away from her once more. Sif merely went around until she was facing him again. If _this_ was how he was going to play then she would be more than happy to go along with it. She was not the one in the glass cell – he was.

"You are even more _infuriating _than I remembered." Loki spat harshly, finally giving up and sitting in one of the chairs at the table. He put his elbow on top of it and rubbed his forehead, closing his eyes and letting out an exasperated smile.

With a pleased expression on her face, Sif managed a small grin. "I would not have to be so if you would simply tell me. I can warn King Odin. We can make the proper arrangements so that we can be prepared. If your worries turn to be true then…I am sure you would want us to protect _you_ as well as all of Asgard."

"Are you sure that you are not asking for your own pleasure?"

"My own pleasure?" She asked, cocking her head to the side in confusion.

Loki gave her a false smile. "I know that you are not particularly fond of me. If this is some ploy to torment me further then –"

" – Loki, I have to spend no telling how many days and nights with you until the King can find a suitable replacement. If you are going to be tormented, _I_ will be tormented because I will have to hear your incessant whining constantly. Do you honestly think I would do that to myself?"

The corners of his lips tugged upwards.

"You are right," she said, continuing her spill, "I am not fond of you. At all. I hate you for what you did to us – to Thor, to Asgard, to the Queen and King – but do not act as if I am a cruel person who would derive pleasure from your pain. That is something _you_ would do; not I."

"My, my, Lady Sif. I see that you have a mighty high opinion of both yourself and of me."

"I do not have high opinions. Only true ones."

"Based on whose judgment?"

Sif picked up on his game. "Do not think that you can make me forget that I asked you a question. _Who_ have you angered?"

Loki blinked and then shrugged. "Well, it seems that I have angered you."

Sif gave him a look so cutting that she was surprised the glass between them did not crack. He simpered, not affected at all by her glance and her fury grew. When had he become so…_ insufferable?_ Was this what she was going to have to put up with until Odin and Frigga could find someone far more suitable for this? Hopefully not. Either she would explode from repressed anger or Loki would find himself staring down the length of her sword.

"Fine," she said and relaxed her tensed shoulder rather forcefully. Lifting her chin, she softened her eyes back to a blank wall and stared at him. "Keep your secrets. It is not as if I am only trying to do my job and try to protect you from whatever is coming for us."

"They are not coming for _us_, Lady Sif. They are coming for _me. _Everyone in Asgard will simply be destroyed along the way."

"We have been attacked before and prevailed."

Loki smiled but even this one lacked any of the warmth that might have been behind a sarcastic one. It was cold, cruel; and he shook his head slightly as if she were insipid. "Not like this, I am afraid. Not like this. Not by these _creatures_."

Sif balled up her right hand into a fist, holding herself back from crashing through the glass and beating him senselessly until he told her who was after him. Did he not care about Asgard? If he did, surely he would tell her who was coming so that she could get the others prepared. It was the logical thing to do. Could Loki not see that? or was he simply being too smug and proud to even think of _helping_ them help _him_?

With a slightly frustrated shriek of sorts, Sif whirled around before she could do anything that she would later regret. Behind her in the cage, she swore she could hear Loki chuckle at her temper but she ignored him, practically stomping towards the stone door. She pulled it open with some exertion before stepping in between two rather surprised looking guards. Not even acknowledging them, she turned back to face Loki from the outside.

He was staring at her. That ridiculous smile was still on his face, those long arms of him folded neatly behind his back as if he had forgotten the fact that he was in a prison cell and she was not. With a snarky grin of her own, Sif slammed the stone door shut, shutting him inside the room on his own. For now, at least. She would have to go back at some point by she would be damned if she had to stay in that room with him all day every day.

"My Lady –" a guard started saying but she cut him off by raising a flat palm in his face. Her eyes were still bearing into the stone like she could see Loki and she sighed, relaxing her shoulders before finally looking over at the one who had spoken.

"Just a little break. I will be back soon." Sif promised and turned. Her hand went to the hilt of her sword as she walked out of the far east wing, her fingers itching to rip it out and start hacking at whatever was close.

The Training Ground was empty when she reached it. Sif normally sparred with the Warriors Three and Thor but it seemed that for the moment she would have to make do with herself. Rolling some stiffness out of her shoulder, Sif unsheathed her weapon. It was not her normal metallic quarterstaff, but a gift Odin had given her shortly after Thor's return the first time he was banished. A sword. A more proper weapon though one that she had not quite mastered yet.

She flicked her wrist around a few times, readying her arm for the unfamiliar weight. Truthfully, she missed her quarterstaff, but it was important for her to know how to master different weapons, she supposed.

Fandral's was lighter; but she had known from the moment that she had asked to work with the rapier that the weapon was not for her. Hogun's short flail was heavier than she had imagined and the length was definitely unsuitable. Volstagg was wicked with his enormous axe and Sif barely even considered the weapon before moving on to a broadsword. Everyone, it seemed, had their weapon of choice. Sif had one, but the limitations of a quarterstaff could not be ignored. _Two _weapons on her person was the best option in a battle.

She swung the blade around loosely for a bit to stretch out her arms as she walked over to a fresh post. Relaxing her arms, she shifted her grip on the hilt and held the weapon out in front of her. Then, letting out the breath that she had been holding, she swung around, weaving the sword into a tight circle over her head before clashing it right down the middle of the post. It split evenly, one side falling away while the other teetered for a brief moment. She stepped to her right and flipped her hold. The broad side of the sword slapped against the still-standing half but seconds later it was on the ground as well.

Sif did not miss a beat as she stepped around to another, taller post. Stabbing, she pushed the blade into the direct center of the post that would have been an opponent slightly her size's ribcage. Sif made the "kill strike" by yanking the sword out, turning her wrist to the right, and slicing the top half of the post cleanly off. She stepped back, winding the sword around her body and then turned on her heel, thrusting the weapon into the middle of the post behind her all the way through.

Rather pleased with herself, Sif smiled as she pulled her sword out and sheathed it. Her right arm was already a little tired, still unaccustomed to the extra weight, but it was gone after a moment of dangling uselessly by her side.

"Imagining my brother, Sif?" Thor's unmistakable laugh took her off guard but she recovered.

"Actually, I was thinking of you." Sif turned to face him, crossing her arms over her chest.

The corners of his blue eyes crinkled when he smiled. "Can't say that I am not surprised by that answer."

"Spar with me for a bit?" Sif asked, motioning her arm over to the flat and dusty corner of the wide open space. "I need to try out this sword on something that moves."

Thor shrugged his shoulders and began making his way over there, flipping Mjolnir in his hand a few times. "As long as you are not intent on taking my head or my hand off. I was hoping to get a few swings in anyway."

Sif unsheathed her sword again. Glancing at the hammer in Thor's hand, she also unlatched her shield from her back and slipped her left forearm in that as well. She had been hit with Thor's weapon several times before when they had sparred and even though they never used their full strength, the feeling was _not_ particularly pleasant. She had sported bruises for days after those spars.

"Loki is not proving too much for you to handle already, is he?"

She shot him a scathing look as she took her place across from him. "Is that even a serious question, Thor?"

He shrugged. Again. For some reason, Sif found that slight movement a little infuriating. "You have not yet noticed how different he is? He is not the same Loki that fell from the Rainbow Bridge a few months ago. Surely you remember what I said yesterday."

"Of course I do. But without his powers, Loki is no more dangerous to me than you are. Now, can we stop talking about _him_ and get on with this?"

Thor spaced his feet further apart. Sif mirrored him. Still, he did not stop talking. "That is where you're wrong."

Sif rolled her eyes. Without bothering with a response, she lashed forward, slicing the blade into a slant across Thor's breastplate. She managed to knick some exposed flesh between where the shoulder plate met the breastplate and his hip before he jumped back. Sif threw her shield up in front of her to block the swing of his hammer and the blow vibrated the metal, stinging her hand. Grunting, she lunched forward, sending him backwards with all the strength she could manage and then quickly skittered back out of his reach.

"I'm afraid Loki is still just as dangerous without his magic as he is with it." Sif ignored him again. She stepped closer, the shield still protectively covering her chest and neck area while her sword rested atop it, blade pointing towards Thor and glinting in the sun. Maneuvering, she surged forward and to the side, thrusting the sword awkwardly over the top of the shield towards his arm before finally dropping the shield away. She twisted her body, the sword going into an arc until it clashed down upon Thor's risen hammer.

"Stop. _Talking_." Sif hissed and threw a heavy kick into his back thigh. His leg fell behind him, Thor landing on his knee while Sif seized the moment, whirling behind him to place the sword under his neck, her shield crossing over his torso and to his right wrist where he held Mjolnir. She pressed it against him.

Thor probably could have gotten out of the position. It was a weak hold, Sif knew that. Her arms were crossing everywhere too awkwardly. But the blade could cut into the skin of his throat and she made sure he knew that as she gently pressed the flat side of the sword closer. She would not dare cut him on purpose. No matter how angry she was getting with him. But in a real fight, he would be dead now and that was the rule.

So, he dropped Mjolnir to the ground and Sif quickly withdrew, standing tall once again and stepping back so that he could get up from the ground. She put the shield and sword back in their places and dusted her hands off, flexing her fingers. She would have to work more with the sword.

"Not the first time you've beaten me."

"And it won't be the last," she continued with a smile. "Have you seen someone about your wound yet?" She knew by the way his expression changed instantly that he hadn't. Reaching over at him, she smacked the back of his head and frowned deeply. "_Thor_!"

"You concern is not necessary," he sighed, running his hand over where she had slapped him. Sif didn't lower her glare when he turned back to look at her. "It's fine. Really. It's already healing; doesn't look nearly as badly as it did when you saw it."

"Oh? Then why don't you show me?"

"I – I can't _show_ you, Sif. I would have to practically disrobe completely!"

Sif rolled her eyes. "As if I have not seen you before? Since when did you become shy and modest?"

"We're in public."

"Then let's go to a room somewhere. I want to _see_ that it has gotten better. If it will make you feel better, I'll close my eyes and won't peek until you've covered everything." Sif was _not_ going to back down from this.

"I'm not going to show you it. You will just have to take my word on it." Thor turned away from her and she quickly gripped his arm, bringing him closer to her with a strong tug.

"You do understand that the Allfather is preparing for war, don't you? Loki has said so himself: enemies, dangerous ones, are coming for him. Odin did not put me in charge of watching after Loki if he was not expecting someone to be coming after him. Someone dangerous. We need to be prepared. Asgard _needs_ you in your most prime condition."

"Honestly, I am in prime condi – "

"No you're not. Rarely have you ever left your right side so exposed. Your stance was different and everything. You are _weak_. Get someone to at least look at it before _I_ tell the King that you are wounded. Don't neglect yourself. Be smart about this."

Thor glared down at her for a moment before he nodded his head. She dropped her arm from his, stepping away from his and towards the stone steps back up into the castle. "Fine," he said rather gruffly. "I will go to the Healer as soon as I can."

"Now?''

"I said I would go."

Sif was about to argue again but she clamped her mouth shut. Turning sharply on her heel, she marched up the stone steps and snorted. "_Men_."

The walk to the far east wing was just as silent as ever before. Strange, she thought, how quiet a castle could really be.

The guards posted in front of Loki's door eyed her warily when she came up. Curious, she paused, moving her eyes between the two that were right in front of her. One of them cleared his throat. "Lady Sif, the Queen is in with Loki."

That was it? "And? Is that the only reason as to why you two are looking as if a Frost Giant is going to come leaping out at you?"

The guard he spoke quickly looked over to the other. "The Queen was not exactly… _pleased_ when she saw that you were not standing guard near Loki as well."

"_Great_," Sif hissed between her teeth, placing her hands on her hips. This was exactly what she needed. Frigga worrying as to whether or not her son was going to be protected enough. Sif expected the Queen to come see Loki but she didn't know that the visit would come so soon. She probably should have though. Especially considering the way the Queen had reacted upon seeing him yesterday.

Taking in a breath, she gave a thankful nod to the two men and stepped to the door, opening it as she stepped inside. The Queen was indeed standing with her back to Sif. She was close to Loki's cell, the God's eyes immediately snapping up to Sif's when he heard the door open. Frigga, though, continued whispering and Loki returned his attention back to his mother.

Sif waited in front of the closing door for the Queen to acknowledge that she was here; but after an rather awkward thirty seconds or so, she wondered if Frigga was even going to speak to her at all. Swallowing thickly, Sif started to make her way to her bedroom door, sword banging against her hip.

"Sif." Frigga spoke and Sif instantly halted. She looked over to the Queen, trying to avoid Loki's eyes, and the older woman slowly turned to face the female warrior. With a smile that was neither cold or warm, she looked at Sif's armor before continuing, "I see you went to visit the training grounds."

"I did, my Queen."

Surprisingly, Frigga did not seem too displeased now about Sif's short abandoning of her son. "And did the session go well?"

"It could have gone better. Working with a sword is far different from working with a Quarterstaff, I'm afraid."

"I understand." The Queen stepped closer to Sif and for a moment, Sif let her eyes dart over to where Loki was glaring at her from inside the cell. If Frigga was going to ridicule her, she hoped that she would at least do it in her bedroom where _he_ couldn't hear them. "Swords do have their drawbacks, just like any weapon."

Sif managed a weak smile.

"I spoke with Odin earlier today about Loki's and your arrangements. It is very unfair of us to expect you to stay around him all day every day, especially with you learning the more advanced tricks of a new weapon. Still, we cannot risk having Loki unattended, even if he is a prisoner." _He is still my son_, Sif saw in the Queen's eyes. She didn't come out and say it, but Sif knew without a doubt that it was what the woman was thinking.

"So, in order to help you two pass time, perhaps it would be a nice idea to start putting your skills to a different test. You cannot be around to protect Loki all of the time and he is dreadfully exposed without his magic."

Sif paused for a moment. What? "You want…me to train Loki?"

"For three hours each day, Loki is to be let out of the cell and able to roam around this room. You can use the balcony if you wish. This is an abandoned part of the castle and no one but the guards outside the door, Odin, yourself, and I know that he is here. If he were to make it out, Loki wouldn't make it ten steps outside of these corridors without someone putting him down instantly."

She looked over Frigga's shoulder at Loki. "But My Queen – not that I do not question your or the King's judgment in this – but…is this wise?"

"Loki needs protection. We cannot give him back his magic but we can give him the ability to use a dagger."

"Is he not already proficient? We used to train –"

"You know as well as I do, Sif, that I abandoned most of those barbaric tools in favor of my magic the moment I became most _proficient _in sorcery." Loki interjected.

In terms of horrible ideas, this was probably the worst that Sif could even imagine. She glared at Loki, snarling a little whenever the corners of that mouth of his lifted up in a small smile. Before her, Frigga placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. Forcing her eyes away from the god who was infuriating her so, Sif tried to soften herself when she looked to Frigga.

"Please." The Queen whispered. "Loki – no matter what he has done, he is still my son. He deserve his punishment. But…I still want him to be protected. He means so much to me."

Those wide, pleading blue eyes. The soft voice. The warm hand. The lines underneath her eyes that told of sleepless nights. How was Sif ever to say no to that? With a reluctant sigh, Sif nodded and a wide smile spread across Frigga's face that could have warmed even the coldest of hearts. She would probably come to regret this later but if it helped Frigga relax and sleep, maybe she could live with that.

"Thank you."

_Don't thank me yet_. Sif remained silent though. She refused to even look at Loki as she turned away from the grateful Queen and towards her room, desperately wanting to be away from the mother and son. Maybe if she gave Loki some private time, he wouldn't make her life absolute hell these coming days. More than likely not knowing him, but it was worth a try.

Even though when it came to Loki there really was no telling if he would ever accept her little peace offerings. When they were children the two rarely ever interacted. Friends? No. She had stuck more closely with the Warriors Three, Thor, Balder, and the like while he mainly stood off to the side and played with his magic. He always watched though. Watching closely as if he was studying them all. Odd, really. Very odd.

How could Sif even begin to try to be…amicable with him? They were both vastly different. Loki was pompous, arrogant, sneaky, and mischievous. She had witnessed on more than a few occasions the way he could talk himself out of trouble. Not only was he a skilled sorcerer, but he was also skilled in deceit and twisting words around to fit his favor.

Sif would have to watch her back when Loki was out of his cage. Her back _and_ her head.

* * *

**A/N: Terribly sorry about the long wait. With school, it's hard mustering the energy to sit down and write fiction when there's so many other essays to do. :/**

**TDW will be out in a matter of days! Who else is totally stoked? Fangirl with me a bit! :D**


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